Description
Seeta Ramdass is the Associate Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, of the Office of Social Accountability and Community Engagement (SACE) in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) at McGill University. She has over 20 years’ experience in communications, community, and media relations within the fields of public health and education and is known for her advocacy for socioculturally safe and equitable health care, inclusion and respect for diversity for vulnerable and marginalized populations. She has served as a communications and EDI consultant to multiple organizations, that include but is not limited to the Black Community Resource Centre, the Quebec Association of Healthcare Managers, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, collaborated on research with various organizations, such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Diabetes Action Canada and Université Laval, among others and given presentations and workshops on unconscious bias, cultural safety, EDI, vulnerable populations and other social justice issues. Ms. Ramdass served as the Director of Public Relations, Communications and Community Affairs at St. Mary’s Hospital Center (SMHC), as a public health information officer for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay and was also the official spokesperson for the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) promoting their research, clinical and community initiatives, through media relations, including the production of news stories and health documentaries such as Doctor*ology and Health Matters. In addition to a fulsome career, Ms. Ramdass has also been an active volunteer for over 25 years serving on several patient and community committees, including as a founder of Community Health Montreal, and as a member of several governance committees including the Boards of Directors of the MUHC, the Conseil pour la protection des malades, and the Just For Kids Foundation. Co-Chair of the MUHC’s Committee for Action on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, she is currently known for her role as co-lead researcher and author of a report highlighting systemic racism and discrimination in Quebec. A graduate from McGill in the field of Clinical Psychology, she has several certifications and diploma courses which include: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Core Competency course in Gender and Health, the Training Program on Human Factors in Patient Security and Safety, and Prevention of Harassment in the Workplace at APER Santé et Services sociaux. She served as a member of the FMHS Social Accountability and Social Engagement Task Force, the Quebec government Groupe Action Contre le Racisme, and is a member of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Standing Committee on Social Accountability. Ms. Ramdass has received several awards in her field, including from the City of Montreal for her sensitive handling of the Dawson CEGEP crisis.
